Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Hayes
Everyone finally left and went back to their little corners of the nation, leaving Charlie and me time to decompress.
It had been a few weeks since I found Carter in the attic when Zeke called to let me know that I've been cleared of any wrongdoing and the case has been closed.
I wasn't necessarily worried, considering he had been hiding in our attic with an axe, but you still never know with these things.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised at how hard therapy actually is.
I swear she takes a deep dive into each mental wound, poking and prodding until she drains the infection.
It feels like every traumatic event is festering beneath the surface, waiting for the opportunity to kill me.
All because I hadn't healed them properly the first time.
I'm mentally exhausted after each session, but the weight on my shoulders already feels less heavy—or maybe she's just helping me find the mental strength to carry it all.
I still feel the need to keep Charlie as close as possible, but it doesn't feel as overwhelming anymore. It doesn't hurt that I've been working in the suite across from them. She's usually within eyesight and there aren't any attics here.
I've been putting in as many hours as I can, trying to get the ball rolling on the agency. There's a lot of guys that I served with that end up floundering after they get out. I'm hoping I can bring some in, set up a support system for those that need it, and also give us all a purpose again.
Drew has offered to do what he can while staying in the Navy, even if it's only investing as a silent partner. Hopefully, I can win him over and convince him to move up here. Same with Everett, although I can't see Everett giving up flying.
Olivia pops into "my side" of the office, pulling me out of my thoughts when she sits in the chair across from me.
"How you doing, Hayes?" She laced her fingers together, setting them on the edge of the conference table.
"Gettin' better. Things have been calm and therapy seems to be helping.
Still looking for property, though." We moved out of that house as soon as we could and bought a travel trailer.
Neither of us could stomach looking at that attic, and it made sense since we want to buy a few acres and build a house.
Charlie seems content to be back at the Cascadia RV Park, but I'm ready for something more stable.
"Did you hear that Will Johnson listed one of his properties? It's pretty close to our house."
"Yeah? Is it a decent size? How much?"
Olivia clears her throat and purses her lips. "Well, I have an idea. But you'll have to set your pride aside and hear me out."
My pride? I already don't like the sound of this. Olivia and Dan have done way too much for us already. Knowing Olivia, she'd buy a hundred acres as a birthday present.
My eyebrows draw together, but I nod for her to continue.
"I'd like to buy the property."
My head involuntarily starts shaking before she's finished. There's no way she's buying us land. I know she has more money than half of Central Oregon, but I have to draw a line somewhere.
"No. That is a very gracious offer, but—"
Interrupting my sentence, she half yells and half huffs. "You haven't even let me offer anything!"
She takes a deep breath and looks me dead in the eye. "I want to buy the property so that Dan and I can build on it, but before I do that, I want to subdivide it. You could buy a lot with however many acres you wanted."
"Oh." Feeling like a dumbass for jumping to conclusions, I apologize and ask for her to continue.
"You know I love you two and I'd love it if you were my neighbors. I've been thinking about a new house for a while now, but I haven't found one yet. This one feels right, and it's a good investment. Personally and for the business. You and Charlie could benefit as well."
I nod; she's speaking my language now. Sensible and practical. The more I think about it, the more the idea grows on me. "Let us know the details, and hopefully we can make it work." I have no doubt Charlie would be over the moon to be next door to Olivia.
She glances at her phone and smiles, her entire face lighting up. "Perfect! I already put an offer in on the property and reached out to Patrick, who does the zoning and permits. He's confident we can get everything approved quickly."
A low chuckle escapes. When it comes to efficiency, Olivia is an unparalleled expert. "You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?"
"Yep. Now I get to go claim my five bucks. I bet Charlie that I could convince you it was a good deal in under four minutes." She wiggles her fingers over her shoulder as she leaves and I realize I just got swindled.
An hour later, I'm lost in thought again, this time staring out the window down into the parking lot. A Cascadia County Sheriff SUV pulls into the parking lot and something in my gut tells me that this isn't a social visit.
I sit up in my chair, watching two deputies I've never met before get out of the SUV.
The one that got out of the passenger seat walks with his shoulders and head hung so low that it sends chills down my spine.
He can't stop running his hands down his face and shaking his head, surely gearing up to deliver whatever bad news he has.
I've seen the look before—the day Charlie and Drew lost their parents.
My body freezes as the memories begin hitting me like tidal waves that threaten to drown me.
Deputy Marco arrived at my mom's house after the car accident to inform us. He golfed with our dads occasionally, but I hadn’t known him well.
I watched him walk to the front door through the bay window with a combined look of devastation and defeat.
He did his best to keep it together, but he couldn’t get it all out with tears slipping down his face.
The two deputies nod at each other and then open the door, making their way into the office and up the stairs.
My cowardly body refuses to move as I stare at the stairs, waiting for them to walk up.
Every muscle feels tense to the point of pain, waiting for my fight reaction to kick in.
So far, it hasn't, despite the fact that my brain is screaming that I should be moving.
I should be running to Olivia and Charlie, protecting them both from whatever they have to say, but I'm frozen in this chair. The names of loved ones that the news could be about run through my head like the end credits of a movie and I want to scream.
Just as the top of their heads crest the top stair, my eyes snap to the girls.
Olivia sees them first and a huge grin crosses her face as she greets them. Within a second, she realizes that something is wrong and I watch her smile fade.
Charlie, sensing her change in demeanor, looks up at me with concern in her eyes and then back to the deputies.
I watch through tunneled vision as Olivia's world is shattered and she collapses to the floor. The second I heard her Charlie scream, "No! No!" mixing with Olivia's sobs, my brain snapped out of the numbness that had enveloped it.
I went to them in five long strides. Charlie had her arms wrapped around an inconsolable Olivia.
I look at the deputies, only to see tears streaming down one man's face. He won’t even look at me as silent sobs rake through his body.
"What happened?"
The stoic one that was driving looks at me with a raised eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Just like everyone else, his devastation was palpable in his eyes but he was the only one attempting to keep it together.
"Tell me what the fuck happened so I can help!"
He shakes his head and looks at Olivia, who lies crumpled on the floor, weeping.
Charlie's eyes close as she softly whispers through her tears, "Dan was shot. He's dead."